Table clock and dial. Germany, 1582.

V&A — Physical description

Case: Case of gilt bronze, with applied silver masks in strong relief. The side of the case is decorated with a repeating pattern of a seated figure and grotesques. Dial: Dial in the form of a brass ring 15.6 cm diameter 1.9 cm broad, the outer ring with touch pins hours I to XII in Roman; the inner ring 13 to 24 in arabic with Germanic Z’s. The half-hours marked by stars in each ring, and there is a narrow ring between the two hour rings lightly engraved with quarters. The bell protrudes 2.5 cm above the dial, and above it is a brass alarm disc 5.1 cm diameter engraved 1 to 12 in Arabic and with six lugs projecting outwards. The alarm disc is a renewal; it is of a slightly different colour, with arabic numerals of a more French type. Above this again is the curved, double-ended and pierced single hour-band. Movement: The iron movement plates are 15.2 cm diameter, separated by iron baluster pillars with bolts held by square nuts at each end. The movement between the plates is of iron throughout except for the crown escape wheel which is a brass disc with projecting brass teeth, almost certainly a late renewal. Going train with verge escapement. The balance is presumably a renewal and is now fitted with a balance-spring of 2 1/2 turns. The regulator arc is not geared and is adjustable over a range of about 115 degrees graduated 0 to 6, each unit subdivided into 6. The present balance cock is of brass 6.0 cm diameter and pierced and engraved. Both going and locking plate striking trains have fusees with chains and their spring barrel set-up ratchet wheels outside the top plate are of brass with steel detents. The count wheel outside the back plate 5.7 cms diameter is engraved and the notches are numbered, with figures similar to the arabic numerals on the dial. The count-wheel is driven by reduction gearing from the second wheel of the striking train.

V&A — Historical context

A letter bound into the Green Accession Registers for 1924 under M.234-1924 on headed paper from the Hans Crescent Hotel , London, SW1 reads 'June 4th 1924 Lady Colchester presents her compliments to Mr Mitchell and begs to say that the history of the clock given by her sister Lady F Maude (as told her by her father Lord de Montalt, formerly Lord Hawarden) that the clock was given to her ancestor Lord Fleming by the Queen Mary Stuart and that it had never been removed from the house in Scotland to which it was originally brought; until brought to London about 1861 when Lord de Montalt sent it to the Kensington Museum Loan Collection. The late Lord Balfour of Burleigh possessed the flagon which he said had the same pattern in the metal only as on the clock. They were some of the last gifts of the Queen to those who had been faithful to her to the last of whom Lord Fleming was one. Lady Colchester must beg that the facts mentioned may not be published without reference to Lady F Maude as the clock was her property and the facts were not mentioned by her.' (Wikipedia note Lord Balfour of Burleigh was a Conservative politician and sat in the House of Lords as a Scottish Representative Peer from 1876 to 1921 and served as Secretary of State for Scotland between 1895 and 1903. His second son, the seventh Lord, was a Scottish Representative Peer from 1922 to 1963.) On the Green Registered description is the following note 'I regret that I do not agree to an addition being made to the label exhibited with the clock. I should object very much to an addition being made.' Extract from a letter of Lady Florence Maude 11 June 1924 in reply to our request for permission to add to the label the history as given by Lady Colchester.

V&A — Object history

Said to have been presented by Mary Queen of Scots to Mary Fleming, one of her ladies in waiting and an ancestress of the donor Lady Florence Maude On loan to the South Kensington Museum from Earl de Montalt from 1863.